Discovery Communications, the media company behind the educational program "Planet Earth" whose networks include Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, plans to close its 103 retail stores and lay off about 25% of its total workforce. The stores will close in the fall. About 1,000 workers at the stores and elsewhere in the company will lose their jobs, Discovery said Thursday. Discovery will sell its merchandise through its catalog and over the Internet as well through as licensing operations to such retailers as Toys R Us and Hudson Group, which operates Discovery Channel Airport Stores.
See "Discovery to shutter its stores, slash jobs", Lorenza Munoz, Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2007